Who invented the first talking doll?

The first talking doll was invented by Thomas Edison. They went on sale in April 1890. They were 22 inches in height and weighed about four pounds. They had a metal body, articulated wooden limbs, and an imported Simon and Halbig bisque head. The original price was $10 (US dollars) with a simple chemise; the cost went up to $20-$25 (US dollars) with a full dress. This was a very huge sum for the time.

The phonograph inside the body of the doll was tiny. It had a small horn pointing up toward holes in the doll's chest. The voice cylinders were not interchangeable. There was no spring motor so each child had to turn a crank by hand. A steady hand speed was required in order for the doll to recite a six-second pre-recorded nursery rhyme.

Edison's delicate voice mechanism was very fragile. Any rough child's play caused it to fail. The steel stylus used on the wax record would also wear out very quickly with repeated use. Overall Edison's talking dolls were not successful. Doll production ceased one month after the first 500 dolls had gone on sale.